We’re planning to hold a Swiss blitz tournament up the club tonight, starting about 8:15. With that and the Bodley and the new clocks not in yet, we may be a bit short of clocks for everyone. If you have one at home and would be able to bring it up for this evening, it’d be much appreciated!

There’s a small cohort of very strong players these days who revel in breaking all the basic rules of chess. Magnus Carlsen once began a game against England in the Olympiad with 1. e4 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. e5 Nh5?! (and lost, granted). The games aren’t great for learning opening fundamentals, but they can be good fun to watch anyway! Here’s a more recent example from the recent International Open in Minsk (may require Java). White – who makes four “amateur” moves in the first seven – is currently ranked number 32 in the world. And won against a GM. Enjoy!